Rajeshwar Singh replaces JP Singhal, who resigned after the Rajasthan high court questioned his eligibility for the post while hearing a petition on January 2

Jaipur divisional commissioner Rajeshwar Singh takes charge as the new vice chancellor of the University of Rajasthan on Monday.(HT Photo)

The Jaipur divisional commissioner, Rajeshwar Singh, took charge as vice chancellor of the University of Rajasthan on Monday, after incumbent JP Singhal resigned the day before.

Governor Kalyan Singh, who is chancellor of the university, accepted Singhal’s resignation and appointed the divisional commissioner as vice chancellor.

The state government selected Singh, a 1989-batch IAS officer, for the post.

Singhal resigned after the Rajasthan high court questioned his eligibility for the post while hearing a petition on January 2.

He courted controversy soon after his appointment in August 2015 with the Congress alleging that he did not fulfil the UGC-prescribed eligibility criteria for the post but was made vice chancellor because of his purported proximity to the RSS, the ideological fountain of the state’s ruling BJP.

Singhal apparently didn’t have a PhD, which the opposition Congress contended is necessary for a person holding the university’s top post.

His successor, Singh, is a postgraduate in history.

He was principal secretary in the animal husbandry, transport and tourism departments as well as Jaipur collector for two years from 2005.

On his first day in the university, he visited the administrative and finance blocks and the central library.

He also visited the university’s health centre and Hindi, history and political science departments.

“Today was basically an introductory day. I am trying to understand the system first and will then do whatever needs to be done for improvement,” Singh said.

He called a meeting of deans of faculties, department heads, college principals, and directors of centres under the university on Tuesday.